"It is a case of an allegation where a kitchen appliance maker has stipulated that the trader, in this case the online trader, will not sell the product below a certain price.

"Putting a floor (price) is also anti-competitive. Why put a floor? If you can sell below that, it is good. That is under investigation," Chawla told PTI in an interview.

By way of resale price maintenance practices, which is quite common in consumer goods and some other sectors, a manufacturer and distributor decide that the former's product would not be sold at a price below a certain threshold level.

This is the latest in a series of cases being probed by CCI with regard to the fast-growing online retail space.

Recently, the Commission rejected allegations of unfair business practices against five online retailers -- Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon, Jabong and Myntra.